NAIROBI, Kenya — In a move that’s sure to stir debate both inside and outside the Church, the Vatican on Wednesday confirmed the appointment of its first Chinese bishop under Pope Leo XIV—a sign that the new pontiff intends to uphold the delicate, often criticized deal with Beijing that was crafted by his predecessor.
Joseph Lin Yuntuan has been officially named auxiliary bishop of Fuzhou, a key diocese in southeastern China. The Holy See announced the decision with optimism, calling it a “fruit of dialogue” between the Vatican and Chinese authorities. Pope Leo made the appointment on June 5, just under a month after his election.
In a statement, the Vatican said, “This event represents further fruit of the dialogue between the Holy See and the Chinese authorities and is an important step in the communal journey of the diocese.”
The Vatican and Beijing are far from best friends. They still don’t have official diplomatic relations—largely because the Holy See recognizes Taiwan, while China insists the island is part of its territory.
But since 2018, an unusual and opaque agreement between the two has allowed both sides to weigh in on bishop appointments in mainland China.
Yes, that same 2018 deal—the one that’s never been made public and has triggered plenty of tension within the Catholic community. Critics argue it gives the Chinese Communist Party too much influence over the Church, allowing it to tighten its grip on China’s estimated 12 million Catholics.
Still, Pope Francis stuck with it, renewing the deal multiple times, most recently in October 2024. That renewed commitment came just months before his death in April 2025, capping off his 12-year tenure as head of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics. When Leo XIV was elected pope on May 8, observers were watching closely to see whether the new pontiff would chart a different course.
This week’s appointment of Bishop Lin makes it clear: Leo is not stepping away from the China accord. Instead, he appears to be doubling down.
The timing is particularly important. In the interregnum—the period between Pope Francis’ death and Leo’s election—Beijing moved fast, appointing two bishops in Shanghai and Xinxiang without Rome’s approval. Analysts say it looked like a power play, a test to see how far Beijing could push its authority while the Vatican was in transition.
Now, with the dust settling in Rome, the Vatican is signaling it still wants to keep China at the table, even if the chair occasionally feels wobbly.
This appointment might not resolve the long-standing tension between the underground Church loyal to Rome and the state-sanctioned Church overseen by Beijing.
But it does reaffirm the Vatican’s cautious, and some say risky, approach to diplomacy in one of the most religiously complex nations on the planet.
